Friday, July 06, 2018

Mike Brearley in The Secret Policeman's Ball



The Secret Policeman's Ball of 1979 contained riches.

I have already posted Peter Cook's parody of Mr Justice Cantley's summing up in the trial of Jeremy Thorpe and Rowan Atkinson's schoolmaster sketch.

There is also a great solo version of Pinball Wizard by Peter Townsend beginning at 13:19.

But it is Mike Brearley's appearance in The Name's the Game is have chosen here. He is the third and final mystery assailant.

When I wrote:
When Brearley became England's captain in 1977 it was almost as though Jonathan Miller or Michael Frayn had been put in charge. Brearley was a representative of liberal North London in an age when cricket was still run by the Establishment.
it was partly his moving in these circles that I had in mind.

It is hard to imagine Joe Root appearing on an equivalent show today. I expect they would ask Gareth Southgate instead.

No comments: